


The One Who Doubted

by Mystic_Rumors



Category: Final Fantasy XIII-2
Genre: F/M, Fluff and Angst, Romance
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2015-07-27
Updated: 2015-10-12
Packaged: 2018-04-11 11:54:32
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: Major Character Death
Chapters: 4
Words: 5,944
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/4434521
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Mystic_Rumors/pseuds/Mystic_Rumors
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>When Noel and Serah can't find the paradox in a timeline, they meet up with a young seeress. How will they react? What secrets is this Yeul keeping? Why is she so... familiar?</p>
            </blockquote>





	1. An Unexpected Encounter

  Noel and Serah had been walking around for hours, getting in a few battles along the way, and he was all but convinced that there was no paradox in the timeline. Nothing really seemed out of place. Frustrated and tired, the two stopped to rest, finally taking some time to drink in the view. It was a beautiful place, if not a little warm, with exotic, colorful plants in every direction and a clear, fresh river running downhill.

  “I don’t get it, why can’t we find anything? Usually enemies are jumping out from every direction right?” Serah commented in confusion. “This place seems perfectly fine the way it is.”

  “I have no idea, nothing looks out of place aside from how few times we've been attacked compared to other places,” Noel replied, scooping some water out of the river and pouring it over his hair, which had grown slightly damp with sweat due to the heat. He scooped more, splashing it at his pink-haired companion childishly. “Cool off Serah, the water feels amazing!”

  Serah giggled as she rolled her eyes, wiping soaked strands of hair out of her face. With a devilish gleam in her eyes, she sent a wave back at the sword wielder. He blinked, slightly startled at the ferocity of the wave she’d sent his way. Then he grinned widely.

  “You have started a war, and I don’t feel like losing today,” he stated strongly. The both of them threw water at each other wildly like children, not paying much attention to their surroundings.

  “You know, you should probably save some for the fish. I think they need it a little more than you do,” a gentle voice teased. Both travelers stopped short, looking around for the source of the voice. “Over here!” the girl called from a little farther upstream.

  Noel raised an eyebrow curiously, motioning to the figure. Serah nodded, still grinning as they made their way towards the girl. When they reached her, she was filling a few pots with water. As soon as she was completely in view, Noel and Serah both stared open-mouthed. Yeul was humming happily as she worked, her shirt a little bunched up from her work and wearing shorts instead of her skirt, which was hanging up on a line nearby. Her shoes rested on the grass fairly close to her as she waded into the river.

  “Uh… Hello. My name is-.” Serah began.

  “I know who you are! It’s nice to see you,” Yeul cut in as she got out of the water. “This place is gorgeous isn’t it?” she sighed.

 _‘Well she’s definitely more… bubbly than the other Yeuls we’ve seen,’_ Serah thought, looking at Noel.

  Noel, however, seemed to be thinking about something else entirely. He was staring at the young seeress with a light blush in his cheeks. Normally seeing her would send a rush of emotions through him that were impossible to ignore, but his mind was so distracted trying not to look at the way the her deep blue hair clung to her pale skin that seemed to be glistening with water droplets, that his thoughts were more like a big jumbled mass of nonsense.

  Serah nudged Noel lightly, pulling him out of his stupor. “It is beautiful, don’t you think so Noel?” the pinkette asked, smiling knowingly.

  “Right. Yeah, it’s… stunning,” he breathed, his eyes lingering on Yeul a moment longer before he looked away, rubbing the back of his neck.

  “Your cheeks are very red, are you getting overheated Noel?” Yeul asked with complete innocence as she stepped closer, reaching up and pressing a hand against his cheek gently.

  “Y-yeah well, it is a bit hot,” he said quietly, resisting the urge to hold the hand on his cheek to keep it in place. He sighed quietly when Yeul pulled her hand away and she began to look around a gather her things. When he glanced at Serah, his traveling companion was giggling quietly, trying to stifle her laughter at his reaction. With an annoyed eye roll he turned back as Yeul was re-wrapping her skirt over her shorts. Most of the pots were lined up by the riverside and all her things were together in a neat little pack that she slung over one shoulder. The seeress looked up at Noel, catching his gaze and smiling.

  “Well then, are you two up for a hike?” Yeul questioned lightly.

  “Sure! Where to?” Serah asked cheerily. She was enjoying watching Noel act so… boyish.

  “Just up there,” the younger girl answered happily, pointing to a mountain ledge thats distance was _slightly_ under exaggerated by the word ‘hike’.

  “Lead the way,” Noel replied as Serah sighed at the distance.

  When they finally reached their destination, Serah and Noel both sat immediately after the somewhat tiresome journey. Yeul, however, walked to the ledge fearlessly and sat, her legs dangling freely over the edge as the sun began to set. She sighed contentedly,taking in the beauty of her home. Noel watched her back from his spot.

  “You know, a gentleman would make sure that a pretty young lady doesn't fall off the edge of a cliff,” Serah mentioned from beside him.

  “I dunno, it looks like she’s having some nice alone ti-,” Noel began, only to receive a sharp glare from his pink-haired companion he imagined she used on her students. “Fine, I’ll go. Happy?”

  “Overjoyed,” Serah answered mischievously.

  Noel go up from his spot, walking to the cliff edge beside Yeul before sitting down. He looked at the horizon, admitting that the view was much better in his present position.

  “So… Do you come out here often?”

  “Every day. I like watching the sun set. It’s not quite day, but not night either. One of the most beautiful in-betweens I know of,” she answered quietly. “I’ve seen it hundreds, heck probably thousands of times, but it never gets old. I used to wish it was always the same, but I realized that nature doesn’t work that way.”

  “I know the feeling,” Noel said, looking at her with interest. She turned to look at him and he quickly turned his eyes back to the setting sun, which had almost disappeared behind the horizon.

  When the sun had finally descended, a thought occurred to Noel. “Yeul, where’s Caius?”

  Yeul seemed to contemplate the question for a moment. “He comes and goes. That man is gone more often than not. He’s like a constantly working father I think,” she finally answered, standing up and waiting as Noel did the same. Then, unexpectedly, she grabbed his hand and pulled him away from the ledge toward what looked like the wall of the mountain. She motioned to Serah to follow as she pressed against the rock lightly and a door opened. She pulled Noel inside, Serah following closely behind.

  “Welcome to my home,” she said cheerily.

  It was a small place, but comfortable, definitely home-y. Serah looked around appreciatively at the cozy lighting and furniture. Yeul had released Noel’s hand and was walking towards the kitchen when she stopped for a moment, staring into blank space and swaying. Noel stepped up beside her and placed a hand on her shoulder gently. She blinked quickly, stumbling a bit as she snapped out of her trance. Noel held her up, keeping his hands firmly wrapped around her arms until she regained her balance.

  “Are you alright Yeul?” he asked.

  “Yeah, just a little dizzy from doing a lot of work today,” she answered, smiling up at him. “Thank you for catching me.”

  Noel nodded, slowly pulling away, making sure she could stay steady. Yeul lingered as though she wanted to speak, but quickly turned and walked to the kitchen. Serah couldn't help noticing that the smile from the young seeress had seemed… not exactly fake, but weaker than before. In the kitchen, Yeul was sorting through her pack, pausing to think about what had happened. She looked up at her reflection with sadness in her eyes. Why was she so unfair to him?

  “Please don’t hurt him this way again,” she whispered pleadingly. Unfortunately she had no power over her fate, and both of them knew it. She saw it in his eyes whenever he spoke to her, the sad knowing that they would lose each other again. Was it so much to ask that he didn’t have to go through that pain just for a little while? She just wanted to know him and let him know her. Was that too much to ask?


	2. Familiarity

** Chapter 2 **

  “Interesting day huh?” Serah commented lightly. She was sitting in the front room of Yeul’s home with Noel and Mog.

  “You said it, Kupo!”

  Noel was silent, seemingly examining his hands. Serah tilted her head, studying him curiously. “Noel, what are you thinking about?”

  “She was smiling. Every time I looked at her, she was smiling,” he replied quietly.

  “Isn’t that a good thing?”

  “Of course it is. I just… I haven’t seen her really smile since… It’s been a long time.”

  Serah nodded in understanding, feeling a slight twinge in her chest. She was living an amazing adventure, but a part of her couldn’t help wishing things could just be how they were supposed to. She wanted Snow back, and Lightning as well. She wanted to get married, surrounded by all her friends.

  “I’ll go see if she needs help with anything,” the pinkette mentioned, walking to the kitchen. Noel didn’t answer, so she took his silence as agreement.

  Upon entering the kitchen, Serah was met with a flurry of activity. Yeul was cooking, running back and forth between drawers and cabinets and stoves. Serah took a deep breath before stopping the younger girl by placing a hand on her shoulder. “Need help?”

  “Sure, you can cut the vegetables,” the seeress said in relief, finally slowing down. The traveler nodded, following Yeul’s instructions on what to do. The girl had obviously been taking care of herself for a while. Despite how much she had been darting around before, she knew what she was doing. Not much later, the meal was ready. It was a fairly simple soup. Of course, seeing as the girl lived alone, it wasn’t necessarily surprising that she would serve something simple. The two poured some soup into bowls and carried them out of the kitchen to the front room. Noel seemed to be having a very spirited debate with Mog.

  “I’m just saying, wouldn’t it be easier for _all_ Flan to move around if they _could_ fly or something? I mean, being all sludgy makes them move pretty slow and-,”

  “Sorry to interrupt your… interesting conversation, but food is ready,” Serah cut in, smiling lightly.

  Noel looked at her, ready to respond with a witty retort but stopping himself when he noticed Yeul’s raised eyebrow and amused expression. There was a moment of silence as the two young women set the food down on a small table in front of the chairs.

  “Looks yummy, Kupo!” Mog sang out cheerily.

  “It’d better be; we worked hard on this!” the pinkette replied.

  They all picked up their bowls and utensils, beginning the meal. Serah mulled over the flavor; it was interesting. It was unique, that was for sure. There wasn’t much flavor to it, but the simplicity in itself was enjoyable. For some reason, it just didn’t seem to fit in with everything else she’d experienced so far. She glanced at Noel, watching for his reaction. To her surprise, he was mostly just looking at it, studying it even. He’d take a sip, and then he’d stop and stare for a moment as though he couldn’t quite comprehend something. Serah opened her mouth to ask him what he was thinking about, but the seeress spoke first.

  “Is it… okay?” Yeul asked him quietly.

  “Yeah. Yeah, it’s great. It just… kinda tastes a little familiar,” he replied, sounding a little unsure of his answer. “I like it though.”

  The younger girl smiled, seeming relieved at his answer. “That’s good,” she murmured, turning back to her own food. Serah decided not to comment, instead finishing her soup and mulling over her thoughts on her own. Everyone in the room finished eating in contented silence. The pink-haired traveler put her bowl back down on the table before leaning back into her chair.

  “So what’s it like living here?” she asked Yeul lightly.

  “It’s… nice. This place is pretty quiet and calm. It’s soothing.”

  “Where did you live before here? Or were you born in a village near here?” the pinkette continued.

  Yeul laughed a little strangely. “I actually don’t remember. Weird, right? I woke up one day and couldn’t remember anything about where I was born, or where I grew up. I was already living here, and Caius was there to fill me in on where I was.”

  “That is unusual,” Noel commented, looking at her curiously. “You don’t know anything about when or where you grew up?”

  “No, not really.” The seeress shifted uncomfortably in her seat. Serah noticed her discomfort and decided to change the subject.

  “Well, this is a beautiful place regardless. What do you usually do on a normal day?”

  Yeul smiled at her gratefully, thankful for the change. “Depends on the day. Sometimes I spend time by the river, sometimes I explore a little. The only thing I make sure to do every day is watch the sun rise and set. It’s a bit of a habit.”

  “Really? How long have you been doing it?” Noel asked curiously.

  “Every day, even when I couldn’t remember anything, I knew it was just something I needed to do,” Yeul answered quietly.

  Noel seemed to be studying the seeress, as though he was trying to solve a difficult equation. She, on the other hand, was studying her hands. Serah glanced back and forth between the two of them with a raised eyebrow. Finally the pinkette stood, picking up all the bowls as she did. Yeul looked up at her in surprise, ready to get up and help.

  “No need to help, it’s getting late. You should rest a little before your sun rises,” Serah said offhandedly.

  “But-,” Yeul began, stopping short at a glare from Serah.

  “No buts, you should get some rest. You’re what, fifteen? Sixteen?”

  “Seventeen actually, but-,”

  “I said no buts, get some rest,” Serah said sternly, using a tone she normally only saved for her students.

  The seeress nodded, resisting the urge to say ‘Yes ma’am,’ as she prepared to leave. “There’s an extra bedroom and the couch is really comfortable,” Yeul said quietly before excusing herself politely from the room.

  Noel watched her leave, uncertainty still in his eyes. “Did you have to be so harsh?” he asked his travelling companion.

  Serah shrugged, carrying the bowls to the kitchen. “You were making her uncomfortable. I doubt she’s used to being analyzed Noel.”

  “I wasn’t analy-… Okay, maybe I was staring a _little_ , but there’s something… different about her this time. It’s like… like she’s more familiar.”

  The pinkette began cleaning the kitchen up a little, listening to Noel as he tried to explain his thoughts. She couldn’t figure out if he was overthinking the entire situation, or if she should be thinking the same way. Eventually she just shook her head. “How about you help me clean up in here and we can figure this out later?” she offered.

  Noel just sighed heavily, getting to work. It was a fairly quick job, and the two decided to finish their conversation in the morning. Noel claimed the couch as his sleeping space, and Serah happily took the other bed. It had been a long day to say the least. Both of them were finally starting to relax when the screams started. Noel jumped up with lightning speed and rushed to the source of the noise, almost knocking Serah down on the way there. She looked at him with worried eyes as they opened the door the Yeul’s bedroom.

  The seeress seemed to be in pain, her hands clenched the sheets so tightly that her knuckles were white. Her shrieks were piercing as she thrashed in her sleep. Serah stood by the door, frozen in place. She couldn’t figure out which course of action to take. Noel on the other hand, moved quickly to Yeul’s side, grabbing her shoulders and trying to contain her violent movements. He shook her, trying to wake her up. One of her hands latched onto his arm, the nails drawing blood as they dug into his skin.

  “Yeul! Wake up!” he shouted, shaking her. “Come on! Wake up!”

  Slowly, Yeul’s eyes opened and her grip on Noel’s arm loosened. Her eyes were filled with tears and he pulled her close to him without thinking. She wrapped her arms around his waist, burying her face in his chest.

  “It was just a dream, just a dream,” she whispered, poorly attempting to hold back a sob.

  “It’s alright, I’m here. I’m right here,” he murmured to her softly.

  Yeul broke down, holding onto him as though her life depended on it. Noel couldn’t really do anything but hold her until she wore herself out. Serah left the room silently, realizing she wouldn’t be of much help. As she walked back to the other bedroom she couldn’t help the thoughts that entered her mind. This Yeul was different from any they’d met before. She was so much more emotional, and seemingly acted with more… freedom. Why was she so unique? Granted, each Yeul was a little different, but this was almost a complete change in character. As she went to lie down, suddenly that was all she could think about. The thoughts clouded her mind even as she went to sleep.

  In the other room, Yeul was settling down slowly. She was still holding onto Noel as though he was her lifeline. He couldn’t find it in him to tell her to let go, or even let go himself. Her breathing returned to normal, and her grip loosened, but she still didn’t let go.

  “Are you… Alright?” Noel asked uncertainly.

  “I think so,” she replied tiredly.

  “Will you be alright? If I leave I mean?”

  “I don’t know. Could you just… stay a little longer?” she asked quietly, almost nervously.

  “I guess…” he replied, pulling back from their embrace. She tried to offer a weak smile, failing miserably. With certain reluctance, Yeul laid back down on the bed, attempting to get comfortable. She grabbed Noel’s hand gently, pulling him down to her. A little more confident, Noel laid beside her, wrapping an arm around her securely.

  “I’m right here if you need me again,” he said quietly, smoothing her hair with one hand.

  “Thank you,” she whispered, feeling herself fall into a deep sleep. Noel fell asleep moments later, telling himself that he’d get up before her. 

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Slight revisions have been made here, but story was originally posted on fanfiction.net under my pen name Dawn Destiny. Updates will come soon after I've made some more revision.


	3. A Visit

 When Yeul awoke the first thing she noticed was a muscular arm draped around her midsection. She opened her eyes and looked at the still sleeping brunette beside her. When she shifted his eyes fluttered open, focusing slowly as he woke up. His eyes widened briefly as he realized where he was, but he made no attempts to move.

 “What happened?” she asked quietly.

 “You were having a nightmare. I was able to calm you down but… I wanted to make sure you were alright,” Noel replied. “Do you… remember anything? From your dream I mean.”

 She shook her head. “No, not really. The last thing I remember is going to bed.”

 They both laid there in silence, thinking about different things before Yeul decided to speak again.

 “Noel… I used to dream about you. When I first woke up without any memories, I’d see you in my dreams. At first, I thought you were just a figment of my imagination. When I first told Caius he gave me a strange look and muttered something about retaining memories and how peculiar it was. As time went on, and I found out that you were real… I don’t know, I began to think about you a lot. When I first saw you and Serah, it was as though I was just seeing an old friend for the first time in a long while…”

 Noel thought about what she’d said for a moment. “What kinds of things did you dream about?” he asked finally.

 “Just random things, watching you learn how to use a sword when you were younger, playing around and talking about childish things, listening as you planned out adventures we would go on together… It was as though I was re-living something. I saw it all through my own eyes. It was as though my dreams were memories instead of visions of what was to come.”

 “…Is that possible? Can you exist in two timelines at once? I mean, obviously you do but you’re not the same… you.”

 “I’m not sure,” Yeul answered truthfully. “It just feels like I know you already, but how can I when I’ve just met you?”

 Noel took some time before answering. “What did I get you for your fifteenth birthday?”

 “A flower… It was from a Cactuar, a metal one. You came back covered in needles and couldn’t walk for days afterwards,” the seeress replied immediately, smiling gently. Then she looked into his eyes curiously. “Right?”

 “Yes,” Noel replied, a little amazement evident in his eyes.

 “Then my dreams… They weren’t dreams, they were memories.”

 “And if they’re memories, as opposed to something you observed through a vision or watching the timeline then… That means you’re…”

 “That means that I’m yours,” she finished quietly.

 Noel pushed a strand of hair behind her ear gently. “You didn’t grow up with me here-“

 “I don’t remember growing up here. It’s as though I simply woke up as a different person,” Yeul said, cutting him off. “Noel… I told you you’d see me again.”

 Noel just nodded, holding her a little tighter as he remembered her last words. He didn’t want her to slip away again, despite his knowledge that he had no say in the matter. Yeul’s hands moved up, fingers tracing his jawline softly. With hesitance, she clasped her hands together at the back of his neck and pressed their lips together. It was a soft kiss, full of innocence and curiosity. Still, when it ended both Noel and Yeul seemed a little shocked at the spark they’d felt in those few seconds. Yeul was the one to speak first.

 “Don’t let me go,” she whispered.

 “I won’t. I promise,” Noel stated firmly before kissing her again. The two felt completely in sync, as though they were two songbirds harmonizing in a romantic ballad. Though it lasted only seconds, it seemed longer because of the sheer emotion running through them. Both of them froze when they heard a knock on the bedroom door.

 “Sorry to wake up anyone, or interrupt anything, but a certain purple-haired man is headed this way, and we’re not really on friendly terms at the moment,” Serah called through the door.

 “Caius,” Noel murmured a hint of bitterness in his voice.

 “You and Serah have to hide,” Yeul whispered urgently, her eyes widening. “He can’t see you here!”

 The two of them jumped up from the bed quickly, trying to figure out exactly what to do. Yeul settled with pushing Noel into a small wardrobe in her robe. He was too surprised to resist as he was shoved in. The seeress then proceeded to open the door, pull a panicking Serah into the room, and shove her into the wardrobe as well. Noel opened his mouth to protest her actions, but she shut the door before he could speak. Sighing, she left the room to meet her guardian.

 Inside the wardrobe Serah and Noel looked at each other with raised eyebrows. “Well, that escalated quickly,” Serah whispered, giggling slightly. Noel just rolled his eyes.

 

 Yeul took one more deep breath before exiting her home to speak with Caius. He was just standing there, looking out at the still dark night. The sun would be rising soon, and he knew she would be up to watch it. Watching over someone the majority of their life made it easy to remember their habits. When she walked out, she seemed to have a different air about her. There was a light in her eyes that he didn’t see often. When she used to ramble on about her dreams was when he’d see it before, but the leather-clad man had thought that light, that freedom had faded since she’d stopped asking about them. Something was different, but he didn’t feel the need to ask her. It would be a useless effort. She was quite… stubborn in this timeline.

 “Hello Caius,” she greeted softly.

 He nodded, acknowledging her welcome. She stood beside him as the first rays of light began to appear over the horizon. “How are you faring Yeul?”

 “… They’re coming to me more often now. I can feel myself weakening more and more every day, but I have been doing well,” she replied.

 “So… It will happen soon then I presume?” Caius asked. Yeul didn’t answer for a while. She seemed to be thinking deeply. “Yeul?”

 “Caius… What would happen if I were to… If I didn’t…”

 “Do you doubt your fate?”

 “No, of course I would n-,”

 “Because you know what happens when you try to change the future,” Caius said darkly. Yeul just nodded, but she seemed to have lost that light burning in her eyes again. Sighing, Caius placed a hand on her shoulder. “You know how… unique this situation is. It is not one we can take lightly.”

 “I understand,” the seeress whispered.

 Truthfully, Caius hated seeing that bit of freedom leave Yeul’s eyes. Still, this particular situation was one that needed to be handled delicately. Both of them knew how the chapter needed to end, but that didn’t mean he had to agree with any of it. The sooner he could stop this madness, the better. Unfortunately, this was one part he simply could not toy with. So instead of voicing his thoughts any further, he just sat with Yeul in silence and watched the sun rise. When it was over he would leave, he had no further business in this timeline, and his meddling would be of no help.

**Back in the wardrobe…**

 Noel was growing slightly impatient and Serah still thought the whole concept of their situation was funny enough to let out little giggles every few minutes.

 “It really isn’t that funny Serah,” Noel commented.

 “But we’re inside a _wardrobe_. Noel, it’s like she just pulled some kind of ‘secret lover’ stunt!” Serah answered, giggling again.

 “Oh? And what does that make you, an accomplice?”

 “No silly, you’ve got it all wrong! Obviously _I’m_ the secret lover and _you’re_ the accomplice!” Serah joked through her quiet laughter.

 Noel rolled his eyes again. “It’s a good thing he didn’t come inside, Caius would probably be extremely curious about why Yeul’s furniture was giggling.”

 The comment only made Serah laugh more.

 The two fell silent when they heard the front door open and close. Soft footsteps entered the bedroom and slowly opened the wardrobe doors.

 “Sorry about that,” the seeress said quietly.

 “It’s fine, so he’s gone then?” Serah said cheerily. Yeul nodded slowly. Noel looked at her strangely. It was as though some of the fire he’d seen not too long ago had faded.

 “Yeul is something wrong?” he asked.

 “No, of course not!” the girl in question replied. She seemed to be hiding something, but he didn’t push the subject further. He figured she’d tell him eventually if it was something serious.

 “Well then, what should we do today?” Serah asked. Just then, thunder seemed to shake the mountain itself, and rain could be heard pelting down on the ground outside. “… Relaxing inside sounds good to me.”

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Slightly edited. Originally posted on fanfiction.net under the penname Dawn Destiny.


	4. Chapter 3: Revelations

** Chapter 4 **

  Yeul, Noel, Serah, and Mog were all relaxing in the living room, waiting for the rain to cease. It had been raining hard for a few hours already, and they had run out of things to talk about. Mog was flitting about, Yeul was leaning against Noel with his arm draped loosely across her shoulders, and Serah was observing everyone else in amusement. A single thought was bothering the pinkette. Ever since Noel had explained that the Yeul in this timeline was ‘his Yeul,’ something had been scratching at the back of her mind. For the sake of all those present, she decided to keep her suspicions to herself. If it was true, then it would be found out eventually.

  “So then, what was it that Caius wanted to talk about,” Serah asked, finally breaking the silence.

  “Nothing much, he was just making sure I was doing well,” Yeul replied, thought she couldn’t seem to make eye contact with the pinkette.

  “Okay, you just looked a little down after you came back inside,” the traveler commented.

  Noel looked at Serah with a raised eyebrow. Where were all the questions coming from? Why was she suddenly so curious? If Yeul had something to hide she would have told them by now surely. He wasn’t quite sure what to say as Serah asked more questions. His travelling companion seemed to be trying to get information on something, but what could it be? Yeul seemed tense next to him, increasingly so whenever she was asked a new question. He should have seen it coming, it seemed so obvious, thinking back, but he didn’t get it until Yeul finally broke under pressure. Well, that is, if breaking under pressure is calmly standing up and revealing something no one is sure they want to hear. At first, Noel wasn’t even sure he believed it himself.

  “What?” he found himself asking.

  “She is the paradox Noel. A person existing in two timelines is like an object in the wrong timeline. I’ve been thinking about it for a while now. There must be a reason each Yeul is slightly different in every timeline right? She isn’t supposed to exist in this timeline because she came from yours,” Serah explained quietly. “So to correct to timeline…”

  “I have to die,” Yeul finished. “The timeline is righting its wrongs, and with my death it can be rid of the paradox and my visions at the same time.”

  Noel looked back and forth between the young women in disbelief. “No. That can’t… You can’t just… I finally got you back,” he murmured, grabbing Yeul’s hand and holding it tightly. She just looked at him, trying not to show emotion. As they stared at each other Serah silently exited the room with Mog, leaving the two alone.

  “Noel, we both knew this would happen eventually,” the seeress began quietly.

  “That doesn’t make it any better,” he shot back.

  “What do you want me to say? I can’t change my fate. You’re making this more difficult than it needs to be-,”

  “For who?! Who exactly is this so difficult for?! Everyone seems to agree that-,”

  “For me! You’re making this more difficult for me!” she exclaimed. “You don’t understand! I’ve waited for you for so _long_ , dreaming of freedom I can never have! I’ve tried to change the future before, and people died! Do you understand? People _died_ because I tried to avoid my fate Noel!”

  Yeul stood up and turned her back on him. She had never been so angry in all her life; usually negative emotions just seemed useless, so she’d thrown them to the side. Having him beside her made her feel and she wasn’t sure whether it was better or worse.

  “All I’m trying to say is that you don’t have to give everything up for once. Maybe, just once, you can be happy,” Noel said quietly.

  “I don’t believe that’s something I have power over,” the seeress answered before leaving the house. Noel stared at the closed door for a while. After a few minutes Serah re-entered the room, with Mog floating closely behind her.

  “Aren’t you going after her?” the pinkette asked.

  “Not like this,” he answered simply. He was too angry to think straight. If he tried to go after her now, they’d argue again. They both just needed some time to cool off. Serah seemed to recognize this, whispering to Mog. The moogle nodded and exited the house quietly. Sitting across from her travelling companion, Serah finally asked the question. “So tell me what happened.”

**………**

  Fuming, Yeul walked along the riverside. She’d only wanted to see Noel happy and smiling. Instead, both of them were angry. It was obvious he just wanted to keep her safe, but he didn’t have to be so stubborn! Sighing, she crouched on some rocks by the river, relaxing a little. After a few moments she was finally calmed down. Looking back, she realized that she had walked pretty far downstream.

  “I guess… I should go talk to him,” she whispered, smiling slightly. She stood and turned, ready to head back when her foot slipped on the surface beneath her. It was slick from the earlier storm, and she didn’t even have time to make a sound as she hit the water. It was colder than usual and the current was stronger after such a large storm. She tried to reach for a rock, the shore, anything that she could grab on to, but the current was pulling her too quickly. Yeul slammed up against a large rock; she managed to cry out as her vision blurred. Her struggle to stay up grew more difficult as everything around her began to fade. She managed to gulp in one last breath of air before the water pulled her under.

**………**

  Noel was ranting, extremely agitated that he’d gotten so angry at Yeul in the first place. He shouldn’t have yelled at her, but she didn’t have to be so infuriatingly stubborn. Serah was watching him with a raised eyebrow as he let off steam. Breathing in deeply, he ran a hand through his hair.

  “Are you done?” the pinkette asked, feeling slightly annoyed at her companion.

  “Yeah. Yeah, I am,” he answered, calming down. “I guess I should go find her then.”

  “I sent Mog ahead to look. I figured you’d both take a while, so I wanted to keep her in sight until you got over your… issues.”

  Noel blushed lightly and nodded, ready to follow the trail to find Yeul again. Serah walked out after him, biting her lip. She hadn’t heard back from Mog yet and couldn’t help feeling as though something bad was going to happen.

  The pair walked along the riverside for a couple minutes, finding no trace of Yeul or Mog. Both of them were beginning to worry.

  “Wait!” Noel shouted, crouching by the edge. There was mud on the rocks that had clear stripes leading to the water. A small piece of white fabric was clinging to the rocks, torn from clothing. Noel dipped a hand in the water, quickly pulling it out as his arm was quickly covered in gooseflesh.

  “The rocks are slippery because of the storm,” he choked out. “The current is strong and the water’s freezing…”

  “You mean she fell in?!” Serah gasped. Noel’s eyes were hardened as he nodded.

  “We need to find her fast.”

  “Serah, Noel Kupo!” a breathless moogle shouted, heading towards them. “She needs help, Kupo!”

  “Mog, you found her? You’re sure?” Noel asked fervently.

  “Yes, Kupo! Hurry, Kupo!”

  Noel and Serah ran after Mog, both trying not to imagine what the seeress’s condition was.

**Author's Note:**

> This story was originally posted on my ff.net account under the pen name Dawn Destiny. It is complete on there, but I will post it here as well, likely with some revisions.


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